Diana Daghofer used to live in Ontario Canada, she wanted pesticides banned on the soccer fields in Dunrobin. Group members included, Meg Sears, Mike Christie, Jean Cottam, alex mackenzie, richard van der jagt,

Diana Daghofer now lives in British Columbia and she is trying to ban pesticides in Castlegar. Using Prevent Cancer Now as proof pesticides are dangerous.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013 – 7:47 AM

The City of Castlegar is poised to make the next step to becoming a pesticide free community.

So says Diana Daghofer with Prevent Cancer Now.

Even though the City has chosen not to impose a ban, she feels there is not much more effort needed with the City having already made such significant strides. She says she doesn't want to downgrade what Castlegar is already doing, saying the city seems to be well on the way to eliminating pesticides, but she doesn't feel it's a big step to go to the next phase.

Castlegar already uses non-herbicide alternatives for certain areas of the city but uses pesticides for public recreational fields.

They also haven't used the chemicals in Kinsmen or Blueberry Parks for the last few years.

– See more at: http://hqkootenay.com/home/entertainment/news/v/Local/316367/Castlegar-poised-to-go-pesticide-free#sthash.8UjhKjdv.dpuf

Quotes from 2004 -2005

Diane Daghofer – Former President of West Carleton Soccer Assocaiton Concerned about her children and soccer

Diana Daghofer, a local resident whose entire family is involved in soccer from players at both the competitive and house league levels, coaches, referees, to former President of the West Carleton Soccer Association. “To my knowledge, none of the fields in Dunrobin have been treated with pesticides for some time, and we have among the best in the city. Judging from reaction to the petition I circulated at the West Carleton house league tournament on the weekend, parents in West Carleton are overwhelmingly supportive of continuing the ban on pesticide use on sports fields. We don't want our children exposed to poisons on our fields!”

Dr. Alex MacKenzie, director of the CHEO Research Institute, summed it up. “There is significant evidence that pesticides are linked to many long-term conditions that decrease both the quality and length of life. Pesticides harm the nervous, immunological, reproductive and endocrine systems.”

Dr. Richard van der Jagt, Chair of the Canadian Leukemia Studies Group, emphasized that pesticides should not be where they will be ground into children's skin. "The most common childhood cancers are linked to both herbicide and insecticide exposures. The insecticide imidacloprid is very persistent, and eventually breaks down into a known carcinogen, 2-chloropyridine."

Sports fields are in "crisis", according to the City staff report. But the Coalition for Healthy Ottawa points out that bare, hard-packed fields with poor soil will not be remedied with toxic chemicals that harm earthworms, beneficial insects and birds, and run into the waterways. The argument is often made that poor soil quality on a field puts children at risk, yet Dr. Alex MacKenzie states “At CHEO we looked at injuries, and found no reason to believe that sports field quality was harming children, and even if an ankle were to be sprained, that would heal quickly and cannot be compared to lifetime impairment.”

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation research found that pesticide-free, low-maintenance, mixed species turf is less expensive, and hardier, more rugged and grub-resistant than the strategy that the city is proposing. “There are many practical solutions that don’t involve pesticide use”, said Meg Sears. “The solutions? Compost the yard waste and put it on sports fields. Aerate and add seed for grub-resistant species. Test the soil and supplement as needed. Nematodes curb grubs naturally. Palsen Park (at Palsen and Laird) is a test site for sustainable turf care that is showing great success.”

Ottawa – The Coalition for a Healthy Ottawa collected almost 1000 signatures on a petition over the weekend. It asks the City of Ottawa not to back-track on its pesticide policy for sports fields. The petition will be presented at Council on Wednesday August 25th when the vote to use pesticides on sports fields will be made.

Disbelief is greeting the news that after years of not using pesticides, Ottawa Council is poised to spray Ottawa sports fields. Parents don't want their children "playing in the poison", and are signing up to let Ottawa City Council know. "We are being betrayed by the same City that rightfully asks us not to use pesticides on our own lawns,” said Coalition for a Healthy Ottawa spokesperson, Meg Sears.

Dr. Alex MacKenzie, director of the CHEO Research Institute, summed it up. “There is significant evidence that pesticides are linked to many long-term conditions that decrease both the quality and length of life. Pesticides harm the nervous, immunological, reproductive and endocrine systems.”

If the policy is passed by council it will allow the insecticide imidacloprid, to be used even when the field is in use. "Imidacloprid" (Merit™) has a temporary registration for use in Canada, because environmental break-down data has not been submitted. Food cannot be planted for a year following application. "A rutabaga is given more protection than our children," decries Katie Albright, a Pesticide Campaigner for Sierra Club of Canada. “Imidacloprid kills beneficial organisms and is used to repel birds. However, birds depend on soil organisms, particularly grubs. This toxic solution is an illogical step backwards.”

Dr. Richard van der Jagt, Chair of the Canadian Leukemia Studies Group, emphasized that pesticides should not be where they will be ground into children's skin. "The most common childhood cancers are linked to both herbicide and insecticide exposures. The insecticide imidacloprid is very persistent, and eventually breaks down into a known carcinogen, 2-chloropyridine."

Sports fields are in "crisis", according to the City staff report. But the Coalition for Healthy Ottawa points out that bare, hard-packed fields with poor soil will not be remedied with toxic chemicals that harm earthworms, beneficial insects and birds, and run into the waterways. The argument is often made that poor soil quality on a field puts children at risk, yet Dr. Alex MacKenzie states “At CHEO we looked at injuries, and found no reason to believe that sports field quality was harming children, and even if an ankle were to be sprained, that would heal quickly and cannot be compared to lifetime impairment.”

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation research found that pesticide-free, low-maintenance, mixed species turf is less expensive, and hardier, more rugged and grub-resistant than the strategy that the city is proposing. “There are many practical solutions that don’t involve pesticide use”, said Meg Sears. “The solutions? Compost the yard waste and put it on sports fields. Aerate and add seed for grub-resistant species. Test the soil and supplement as needed. Nematodes curb grubs naturally. Palsen Park (at Palsen and Laird) is a test site for sustainable turf care that is showing great success.”

Diana Daghofer, a local resident whose entire family is involved in soccer from players at both the competitive and house league levels, coaches, referees, to former President of the West Carleton Soccer Association. “To my knowledge, none of the fields in Dunrobin have been treated with pesticides for some time, and we have among the best in the city. Judging from reaction to the petition I circulated at the West Carleton house league tournament on the weekend, parents in West Carleton are overwhelmingly supportive of continuing the ban on pesticide use on sports fields. We don't want our children exposed to poisons on our fields!”